Self-Scouting: Unrestricted Free Agents

While free agency won’t begin until the end of February, we wanted to take some time to look at the Jets free agent lists, and write up some initial thoughts about their future status with the Jets. Lastly, the Unrestricted Free Agents.

Bryan Thomas -- Rex Ryan loves Bryan Thomas, mostly because of Thomas's versatility. Thomas might not be an OLB playmaker like a Terrell Suggs, but he can stuff the run, set the edge, cover the pass, and even rush the passer a little. Mike Pettine and Rex Ryan both said repeatedly this season that they missed his versatility once he was injured and out for the year. Thomas is in the late stages of his career, so the Jets might try and lowball an offer to him to see if he will stay. Ultimately it might come down to Thomas. Take the money elsewhere, or return to the Jets at a discount?

Likelihood of return -- Moderate

Sione Pouha -- Despite a quiet start of his career, Pouha has become an invaluable part of the Jets defense. The Jets have drafted what should be his eventual replacement in 2011 in Kenrick Ellis, but the team could still use Pouha and his run-stuffing skillset for a few more years. Pouha is a business man and is smart enough to know that this is his best chance at a high dollar deal, but seems to have the loyalty to want to return to New York. The Jets and Pouha will likely strike a modest deal to keep the NT around for a few more years.

Likelihood of return -- High

Jim Leonhard -- Leonhard took a discount to come play with the Jets in the first place, now two season ending injuries later, he's a new father and staring at what will likely be his last bet shot at an NFL contract. Leonhard's a safety that plays bigger than his frame and who has been an important part of the Jets defensive successes in the past three years. Leonhard will most likely have to take whatever the best offer is that comes his way, and for various reasons, I don't know if that contract will come from the Jets.

Likelihood of return -- Low

LaDainian Tomlinson -- Tomlinson was clearly disappointed at the way his teammates treated their Quarterback, and that has to leave a bad taste in his mouth. The Jets have three young running backs on their roster between Shonn Greene, Joe McKnight and Bilal Powell that would appear to have futures with the Jets. LaDainian is contemplating retirement, and might do just that. The way the season ended has to be hard, and Tomlinson is also still chasing that elusive championship. He'll either retire, or end up where the money and role is right and he thinks he stands a good chance of contending.

Likelihood of return -- Low

Robert Turner -- You have to feel bad for Robert Turner. Turner wants desperately to be a starter, and this year would have been his best chance to showcase his abilities (with Mangold's injury) it if he hadn't been injured in the preseason. The Jets seem set with Slauson and Moore at their Guard spots. But the Jets are going to be cap conscious and Moore holds a $3 million savings for the team was to cut him this offseason. Maybe Turner returns to the Jets as a starter, but as an UFA he'll try his best to find a starting job, despite his injury, before returning to the Jets on a short deal.

Likelihood of return -- Moderate

Kevin O'Connell -- Greg McElroy might have made some questionable comments a few weeks ago, but in all likelihood McElroy will be vying #2 QB for the Jets in 2012. There's no need to pay a veteran backup like O'Connell whose promise has worn thin.

Likelihood of return -- Low

Mark Brunell -- Players have been anonymous, but open in saying that they thought Brunell didn't pose enough of a challenge to Sanchez. Brunell was a smart option when they needed a safe backup to not dangle over the head of their young QB. If the Jets want to keep him on, they need to do so as a coach.

Likelihood of return -- Low

Plaxico Burress -- Plaxico might be physical and have a great span to reach out for passes, but it's obvious he is past his prime and isn't enough help to the Jets "star" receiver to bring him back. The Jets need someone who can command the occasional double team, and that's not Plax ... especially between the 20s. Plax was very helpful in the Jets red zone offense, but not enough to justify the price tag. The Jets will be bringing back Jeff Cumberland and it's likely Patrick Turner will return too. For the Jets, that should be enough of the big-bodied targets ... unless Plax is willing to retun on a veteran minimum deal as a third receiver ... maybe.

Likelihood of return -- Low

Nick Folk -- Folk has been consistent for the Jets, and has been able to use the new kickoff rules to his advantage. The Jets will likely try and bring back Folk on a short, low-money deal.

Likelihood of return -- High

Brodney Pool -- I get why Rex Ryan has mixed feelings about Pool, and didn't make him the priority in the offseason at the safety spot. Pool has the coverage and physical skills, but seems to more routinely blow coverage due to mental mistakes than their other safeties. Don't mistake me, Eric Smith gets burnt, but it's not because he doesn't know his role, he just can't fill it. Pool will be someone that the Jets might have to just "think of England" until they can come up with some better option.

Likelihood of return -- Moderate

Donald Strickland -- Strickland was a player that the Jets brought in because they lost Drew Coleman, not for any real love of his Strickland's skillset. With much more time to scour the free agent lists, they'll find someone they find more suitable and with more upside to fill the fourth corner spot.

Jets-49ers Week 14 Game Preview

SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano feels the Jets need to keep Bryce Petty under control and let Matt Forte lead the attack against the 49ers.

Ralph Vacchiano, SNY.TV:

THE GAME: The Jets (3-9) at the San Francisco 49ers (1-11) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 4:05 p.m. ET.

THE WEATHER: After a few days of rain in the bay area -- which should do wonders for the generally bad field there -- it looks like things will be dry on game day. But it'll be cloudy with temperatures in the upper 50s or maybe around 60 with light winds.

WHAT IT MEANS: Yawn. … Oh, sorry, what was the question? Right, the meaning of this game. Well, it's mostly about draft order, I guess. Currently, the 49ers are picking second and the Jets are picking fourth or fifth. A win and the Jets put themselves in danger of slipping closer to the bottom of the Top 10. A loss, though, and they've got some potential for a Top 3 pick if things break right. Or wrong. Whatever. Also, I suppose this game has meaning if you're on the Todd Bowles Watch.

FNNY presented by Jeep: Common for NFL players to not remember games?

Dec 9 | 12:20AM

The FNNY panel touches on the report that Brandon Marshall told the Daily News he doesn't remember scoring three touchdowns in a 2014 game.

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GEICO SportsNite: Jets place Nick Mangold on season-ending IR

Dec 9 | 12:06AM

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GEICO SportsNite: Mangold to IR00:01:25

Willie Colon comments on Nick Mangold's career after the Jets placed him on injured reserve.

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Wilkerson says 'tighter coverage' would have led to more sacks

Dec 8 | 7:30PM

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New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) celebrates a sack with teammates during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tennessee Titans Sunday, Dec. 13, 2015, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan) (Peter Morgan/AP)

Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson responded "maybe a little tighter coverage and we get those sacks" when asked why New York was held to one sack in their 41-10 loss to the Colts Monday.

Fitzpatrick to serve as backup QB behind Petty

Dec 6 | 4:55PM

QB Ryan Fitzpatrick will serve as New York's backup quarterback for the remainder of the season, while rookie QB Christian Hackenberg will not play unless starting QB Bryce Petty suffers an injury, head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Tuesday.

Bowles named Petty the starting quarterback following Monday night's embarrassing 41-10 loss to the Colts, relegating Fitzpatrick to the backup role.

When asked if the rookie quarterback would see any playing time this season, Bowles was quick to say only an injury would lead to Hackenberg taking the field.

TJB Post Game Podcast: Bryce Petty and the Heartbreakers

Dec 6 | 3:59PM

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The Jets are free fallin, while Corey Griffin and Brian Bassett have their green hearts broken and are at a loss for answers. But they do find your voicemails…and talk about Bryce Petty, Todd Bowles, an uncertain future, and a nifty play by the pylon.

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Jets waive C.J. Spiller and Jeremy Ross

Dec 6 | 3:10PM

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New York Jets receiver Jeremy Ross (10) returns a kick-off against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. (Charles LeClaire)

New York also announced the signing of WR Darius Jennings to the practice squad, who will take the place of WR Mario Alford, who has been released.

Spiller signed with the Jets on Nov. 2 after playing two games for Seattle. Spiller appeared in four games with the Jets, returning five kickoffs for an average of 19.1 yards per return, along with recording three rushes and one reception on offense.

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BGA: Insight and analysis from Week 13

By Bent | Dec 6 | 12:15PM

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(Ed Mulholland)

The Jets were crushed by the Colts, 41-10, on Monday night at MetLife Stadium as they fell to 3-9 on the season. Bryce Petty replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick during the game and will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Here's insight and analysis regarding the Jets' awful Monday night performance...

Quarterbacks

Ryan Fitzpatrick's performance speaks for itself. He only completed one pass beyond the first down marker, had a completion percentage below 50 percent, and punctuated his performance with an interception on the kind of forced throw he's been unable to get away with all season.

Bowles names Petty starting quarterback for remainder of season

Dec 6 | 12:08AM

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles named Bryce Petty the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season, barring injury, after he replaced Ryan Fitzpatrick midway through Monday's 41-10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts.

Bowles said he planned to name Petty the team's starting quarterback for the rest of the year regardless of what happened Monday, adding that Fitzpatrick's ineffectiveness -- 5-for-12, 81 yards, no touchdowns and one interception -- in the loss to the Colts did not factor into the decision.

Petty completed 11 of 25 passes for 135 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions as he replaced Fitzpatrick for the second half, entering a 31-3 game.

Dec 5 | 11:46PM

Andrew Luck was nearly perfect in his return from a concussion, throwing for four touchdowns, three to Dwayne Allen, in the Indianapolis Colts' 41-10 romp Monday night past the inept New York Jets.

Not that Luck had to work very hard against the hosts, who were booed by a much-less-than-filled MetLife Stadium almost from the outset.

Luck missed last week's loss to Pittsburgh, cleared the NFL's concussion protocol on the weekend, and came back in style with a prime-time performance. He lifted Indianapolis (6-6) into a tie for the lead in the AFC South with Tennessee and Houston.

A witness said an argument took place between McKnight and the shooter before the shooter opened fire multiple times.

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What did you think about the Jets' game?

Dec 5 | 11:15PM

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We want to hear from you! What did you think of today's Jets game?

Record a reaction or question about the game, which may be used during TheJetsBlog Post Game Podcast, call 1 (831) 769-6387 or use this to record a message (please remember to leave your name and city):

New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles benched starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in favor of backup Bryce Petty for the second half of Monday's game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium.

Fitzpatrick completed 5 of 12 passes for 81 yards with an interception and a 30.2 passer rating as the Jets trailed 24-3 at halftime.

Petty is making his first game appearance since Week 10, a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in which he went 19-for-32 with 163 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Jets honor Joe McKnight with pregame moment of silence

Dec 6 | 7:16AM

New York Jets running back Joe McKnight walks back to the locker room following practice at SUNY Cortland. (Rich Barnes-US PRESSWIRE)

The New York Jets have held a moment of silence before their game against the Indianapolis Colts at MetLife Stadium to honor former running back Joe McKnight, killed last Thursday in Louisiana.

Authorities said McKnight, 28, was shot during a road rage incident that was possibly sparked by a driver cutting off another on a nearby bridge in Terrytown, across the Mississippi River from New Orleans. The shooter was identified by police as Ronald Gasser, 54, and he was released overnight, drawing criticism.

McKnight was rated the nation's No. 1 running back recruit when he came out of Louisiana in 2006 and signed with the University of Southern California. He was a fourth-round draft pick of the Jets in 2010 and played three seasons for New York. He spent a season with Kansas City, and most recently played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League.

Petty started against the Rams in Week 10 when Ryan Fitzpatrick was out with an injury, and completed 19 of 32 passes for 163 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It was the first, and so far the only, start of his career.

While some have questioned why Todd Bowles has not given the young quarterback more opportunities to prove himself, many believe it is because Petty has simply not shown enough during practice to earn the starting job.

During the season, Bent's Game Analysis charts games for some of the New York Jets' upcoming opponents, enabling a breakdown of what to watch out for on game day…

This week's Monday Night Football will see the Jets hosting the 5-6 Indianapolis Colts. Despite having endured a disappointing year so far, the Colts were just one game out of first place in the AFC South entering this weekend. The Colts have lost three of their last four games, albeit to three potential playoff teams in Green Bay, Kansas City and Pittsburgh. The teams met early last year with the Jets defeating the Colts 20-7, again on Monday Night Football, in one of the best performances of the Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan era.

TheJetsBlog Podcast: Are the Jets Better Off Today?

Dec 4 | 11:54AM

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Brian Bassett welcomes Brian Costello of the New York Post to the podcast, and they take a deep dive into the question of whether or not the Jets are better off today than the day when Woody Johnson flipped the switch from the John Idzik/Rex Ryan regime, to the current Mike Maccagnan/Todd Bowles duo. Later, SNY NFL Insider Ralph Vacchiano joins the show to talk about his Thursday conversation with Darrelle Revis at Florham Park, and to share his thoughts on Revis' future with the Jets.

Jets future up in the air for Revis, who wants to play in 2017

Darrelle Revis has made it pretty clear that he intends to play in 2017, telling SNY "I still have a lot of football to play." He even thinks he can still play football at a high level.

But at what position? And for whom? Neither of those answers are clear just yet. And though it's certainly possible that the Jets will simply part ways with the greatest cornerback they've ever had, a team source insisted not to rule Revis out of the Jets' 2017 plans just yet.

TJB Roundtable: Looking on the bright side

Maybe it is just me, but it seems like the Faustian bargain made by Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Jets on the eve of training camp signaled the end. Since then the trajectory of this team has been steadily downward: horrifying play at QB, the season-ending injury to Eric Decker, the immolation of Darrelle Revis as "player who gives a damn" … it has been rough. Hell, even Muhammad Wilkerson's reputation looks to be streaking down the Alpine Slide at Action Park!

But since we're Jets fans, we are notorious gluttons for punishment. So rather than dwell on all the bad stuff … what causes for hope do you have from what you've seen this season, Bent?

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Gailey tries to evaluate Petty, Hackenberg despite lack of game time

Dec 2 | 8:06AM

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New York Jets quarterback Bryce Petty throws the ball during warmups before a game against the Cleveland Browns at FirstEnergy Stadium. (Scott Galvin/USA Today Sports Images)

New York Jets offensive coordinator Chan Gailey said young quarterbacks Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg need to get all the reps they can get to continue to develop.

Though the Jets have decided to turn back to Ryan Fitzpatrick at quarterback for the foreseeable future, Gailey said Petty "needs all of the work he can get," according to NJ.com's Connor Hughes.

"It helps to play in games. ... The probability in games, you've got a lot better idea of what's going to happen," Gailey said. "In practice, you only have about a 75 percent probability of how they're going to be, how they're to play, and how they're going to progress."

Petty has started just one game -- a 9-6 loss to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 10 -- this season before head coach Todd Bowles opted to make Fitzpatrick, who led New York to 10 wins last season, the starter again.

Revis weighs in on retirement, possible move to safety, and more

Ralph Vacchiano reports from the Jets facility on the Darrelle Revis rumors of him possibly retiring after the 2016 season.

Darrelle Revis, the embattled Jets cornerback, insists that he has given no thought to retirement despite his age and his struggles this season, and that his love for the game of football is as strong as ever. In fact, in an interview with SNY.tv on Thursday, he said any questions about how much he still wants to play are "really bizarre."

That was the 31-year-old Revis' response to the latest round of criticism in what has become a miserable season for the future Hall of Famer. He has struggled on the field in a season he admits is "definitely not" up to his personal standards, and the shots he's taken in the media have been relentless at times.

The latest came in a report in the New York Daily News on Wednesday that quoted a "confidant" of the cornerback saying "If he had his way he'd be done right now. He doesn't want to play anymore."